prawn and litchi cocktail

it was right after new years that aaron (this is mekarl's brother-in-law) told us that his mum was having a dinner for everyone and needless to say, it was an amazing occasion for food! this amazing dish is a twist on the traditional prawn cocktail. considering the fruit we durbanites get in summer, it was amazing idea aaron's mum had to make this sumptuous starter.

with help and artistic direction from the wonderfully pregnant janita, everything came out just perfectly and was the most fitting cold starter for a clammy durban night!

getting ready for serving

the chefs! janita (left) and aunty dora (right)

finished off with sliced avocado, coriander and a sprinkle of paprika

this post would not be complete without mention of the DELICIOUS sheep head curry! i know to some of you this may seem revolting, but you have not lived until you have tasted aunty dora's sheep head! the only time i ate sheep head was when i mistook it for mutton curry. this time, however, it was voluntary and damn, i'd like to make that choice again! haha :)

xo

♥

wok fried sesame steak

i have made this recipe on countless occasions and it is a sure way to cure those after work blues when you come home from a long day and are not in the mood to get in the kitchen :)

it takes a quick 15 minutes to make and you'll be smiling contentedly in no time!

INGREDIENTS:

• 150g steak (marinade in salt, white pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, peri peri & garlic)
• any vegetables that you like - i used carrots, green and yellow peppers.
• garlic and ginger
• sesame seeds

METHOD:
after marinating the beef for as long as possible, stir fry to seal the meat in a hot wok with some sunflower or vegetable oil. it is a good idea to use an oil with no real taste as it wont marr the flavour of the stir fry. olive oil tends to be a very powerful smelling oil that doesn't marry all that well with asian flavours. remove the steak and then add a tablespoon of ginger and garlic (crushed) and then go in with your vegetables. remember to cut all your veggies around the same size for even cooking time. add in your beef and stir fry again for a few seconds. add in more soy sauce and sesame oil. be careful with the sesame oil as it has a very strong flavour! finish with fresh coriander and sesame seeds:)

and don't forget to enjoy!

it's been a while

hey everyone :)

well i have finally got some access to a laptop and it's been a good 3 months since i blogged. i am happy to say, however, that i am back! with a long list of recipes and exciting stories that io wish i had the time to blog about before!

i really missed it but the last few months were really eye opening not just on a culinary level but also on an emotional level. my parents and brother have moved to johannesburg (and this is where i'm blogging from now:)) and i am still in durban. it's a new start for my life and my blog!

happy days friends and stay tuned!

peace and love :)
may
x

sumptuous summer snacks: baby squid, chorizo & feta salad ♥

without even realising, "sumptuous summer snacks" is becoming a regular post :) it's mostly because summer is around the corner, and with the humidity increasing everyday so is the need for light, fresh food.

sunday afternoon was a day of severe proprortions and all we needed a little snack as the air was cooling, so this was it:

just fry off the chorizo until cripsy, throw in your scored and bite sized pieces of baby squid for a minute or so on quite a high heat. remember the "tender-tough-tender" rule when cooking calamari/squid. a minute will allow it to stay tender and fresh, there's literally miniscule seconds between that and it becoming tough. cooking it for much longer will enable it to go past the tough stage into the tender stage again.

remove, toss through some crumbled feta, a few basil leaves and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and this is a great summer starter or a larger portion would make an amazing summer lunch or dinner with some crusty bread and a glass of white wine :)

peace & love friends

xo

masterchef australia

so the final week of masterchef australia is here! i'm more anxious than i have ever been in my life about this sort of competition and i think part of it is because over these weeks we've really began to get to know these contestants and for a food lover like me, it was like a journey of my own. the other part of it is that in a few weeks the winner of masterchef australia will be here at our good food and wine show!

 

i have to admit that before this show, i was pretty against australians in general. and it pretty much stems from growing up with cricket in my blood and they were kind of our arch enemies in the 90s! but this show has really made me look at australians differently, and even wanting to seriously visit there. it was an eye opener and really quite enlightening.

 

so the finalists are:

 

 

justine (i am sooo glad she's back!)

julie (love her to death!)

poh :)

julia

chris

lucas

 

i have to admit, i'm kind of over chris and i actually don't know why. maybe it was this slight arrogance i got from him at times. i don't believe he's like that but something about him has put me off over this last week. i have to say i am in love with poh. i think she's a genius and so dedicated and forward thinking! and julie (i think i just found something out when i googled her and i'm rather upset right now but i shall block it out) well julie has grown sooo much over these weeks and has really shown the inner strength she has and i am just rooting for her because of her humility, her honesty and just the love she exudes. she has amazing character! i'll just be ecstatic if one of the girls win :)

 

let's see how this pans out (no pun intended lol)

 

xo

sumptuous summer snacks: chicken skewers ♥

the heat has finally returned to durban town and how we missed it! sunny skies and humidity all round, it's reminded me why i love this city so dearly (we know we're gonna be quite over it in the next few weeks, mind you, and i will probably regret these positve words, ha!) but it's just after 3pm and it is this time of day that i really love about summer nearing -  the sun peering down at us relishing the few hours left, the air cooling slightly, and the sky as blue and clear the Mediterranean sea. it makes me think of the months to come and of course, the food and wine we're going to enjoy!

yesterday was a day just like today and i made heavenly chicken skewers: here's my recipe -

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cubed.
• bacon sausages (optional) - sliced on the angle.
• onions, cut roughly in quarters.

you're gonna wanna dry marinate your chicken breasts because they're gonna go onto a griddle pan and you don't want them to stick. so a good dry rub is:

• salt
• lemon pepper
• black pepper
• peri peri spice / paprika
• ground cumin
• dried mixed herbs
• brown sugar

adding brown sugar to the dry rub is not just going to add another level of flavour to the chicken but is going to help caramelise the chicken when it hits the griddle pan. it is absolutely fantastic!

just skewer your chicken, onion and bacon sausage alternatively and you're ready to go. i made some skewers with just chicken and onion because my mom is not a fan of bacon sausages.

(tip: remember to soak your skewers [if they're wooden or bamboo skewers] because this will stop them from burning when they hit griddle pan. also a good tip to know for putting skewers on the braai!)

serve it in a roll with a bit of tomato relish or on it's own with a dipping sauce, either way it's just a beautiful summer dish on the go, outside in the sunshine, or by the poolside on the humid durban day :)

new look:)

i was feeling for a bit of a change today, and just couldn't put my finger on it. eventually i figured out that a change in the look of my blog was what i needed and so i did it. i stuck to my usual colours, but i'm loving the fresh new look i've given it - a lighter background has brought a calmer, more delicate palette and it's making me feel renewed :)

i hope you all like it too!

my dear friend, sadhana sahaye (fellow blogger and friendo of coming on 10 years - to go to her blog click here) made me an amazing logo, but unfortunately i just haven't found the right place to add it just yet. it will come to me. but lots of thanks to her and will be putting it up in the next few days after a bit of pondering! keep an eye out for that!

peace & love friends

xo